(FreedomBeacon.com)- A Chechen fighter who was falsely accused of plotting to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2012 and is now leading a rebel force in Ukraine spoke with the UK Sun about his life and being targeted by the Kremlin.
Adam Osmayev, 40, and his wife Amina, both decided to fight against the pro-Russian rebels who had seized part of Ukraine after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since then, Osmayev has been in hiding after barely surviving three separate assassination attempts on his life, which he believes were backed by the Kremlin.
In one attempt in October 2017, Osmayev and his wife Amina, who was a sniper and a high-profile figure in the anti-Russian resistance, had been driving to their home in Kiev when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle. Osmayev was wounded and his wife was shot dead. It is believed that the Russian state or pro-Russian rebels were behind the attack.
Osmayev told the Sun that Amina’s death remains a big motivation for him, adding that he believes he is on the “right side” in his opposition to Russia. He said that if Putin’s forces ever do catch up with him, he knows he fought for a noble cause and will have died for the right thing.
Pro-Russian rebels have been fighting in eastern Ukraine allegedly with the full backing of the Kremlin. NATO has condemned the conflict which many fear Russia will use as a pretext to seize more territory from Ukraine.
Osmayev believes it is his job to see to it that never happens. But because he remains near the top of Putin’s hit list, he has to stay all the more vigilant.
In 2012, Osmayev was arrested in connection with a foiled plot to assassinate Vladimir Putin, who was then Russia’s Prime Minister.
To this day, Osmayev denies everything, claiming that he was set up by Putin’s spies who wanted to use him as a scapegoat so Russia could crackdown on Chechens.
During his arrest and interrogation, Osmayev was tortured, first physically and then emotionally – with Russian agents threatening to hurt his family. He successfully fought off an extradition warrant to Russia and was eventually acquitted of all charges.
Today Osmayev leads the Dudaev Battalion fighting pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. During his time, he helped expose a Russian mole operating at the highest level of the Ukraine secret service.
Read Osmayev’s story HERE.
